LSU Supports Entrepreneurs and Innovation as the New Louisiana Small Business Development Center Host

BATON ROUGE – LSU is now the new host organization for the statewide network that provides training and technical support to small businesses and entrepreneurs throughout Louisiana. The Louisiana Small Business Development Center, or LSBDC, network consists of 10 regional offices.

“As Louisiana’s flagship university, LSU’s resources and expertise are meant to serve the entire state. It’s an honor for us to lend our support to strengthen the network with our colleagues at regional SBDC offices across the state. When we help small business owners and entrepreneurs succeed, Louisiana wins,” said Andrew Maas, LSU Innovation & Ecosystem Development director and principal investigator on the project.

The new state office will be established at LSU Innovation Park located at 8000 Innovation Park Drive in Baton Rouge. As the host organization, LSU will help manage the 10 regional offices and the approximately $4.4 million annual program budget funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Louisiana Economic Development and the participating universities that house the regional SBDC offices.

“The Louisiana Small Business Development Center network is a critical resource for small businesses in Louisiana,” said Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Don Pierson. “LSBDCs deliver professional, high-quality, individualized business advising and technical assistance to existing small businesses and new pre-venture entrepreneurs. When small businesses need problem-solving assistance, need help with funding during this COVID pandemic or after severe storms, the LSBDC network is there to support them. Thanks to dedicated LSBDC efforts our small businesses are retaining and growing jobs in Louisiana.  With Louisiana State University now serving in a leadership role for our LSBDCs I am confident that the LSBDC system will continue outstanding service. Together, we can and will position the small businesses in our state to be successful and grow in the face of national and global competition.”

Award-winning faculty from the LSU E. J. Ourso College of Business and MBA students from the highly ranked Flores MBA Program offer specialized support and training at the regional SBDC located at LSU Innovation Park. 

“This partnership represents an incredible opportunity for the Louisiana economy,” said E. J. Ourso College of Business Dean Jared Llorens and co-principal investigator on the project. “Through LSBDC, college of business faculty and Flores MBA students will be able to translate their innovative research and diverse expertise into practical strategies for small businesses — one of the state’s most effective engines for economic growth and equitable prosperity.”

The network of 10 university-based centers spans the state. 

“We are excited for the opportunity to collaborate on this project with LSU and look forward to growing and developing small business support throughout the state of Louisiana,” said Bill Joubert, director of the LSBDC at Southeastern Louisiana University. 

Over the past 15 years, the LSBDC network has provided 350,000 hours of entrepreneurial counseling to more than 55,000 entrepreneurs and offered over 5,000 training workshops and seminars to more than 92,000 attendees. LSBDC has helped 630 new businesses start up in Louisiana and created more than 3,500 jobs.

Small business owners and entrepreneurs in Louisiana can access support through the following 10 regional SBDC offices:

 

• LSBDC LSU Alexandria serves Avoyelles, Grant, Natchitoches, Rapides, Sabine, Vernon and Winn parishes.
• LSBDC at LSU serves East Baton Rouge and surrounding parishes and specializes in helping small businesses in the area of technology.
• LSBDC at Southern University A&M serves the Greater Baton Rouge region including Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana parishes.
• LSBDC at Southeastern Louisiana University serves the Northshore parishes of Livingston, St. Helena, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington.
• LSBDC at University of Louisiana Lafayette serves eight parishes in the Acadiana region including Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, Saint Landry, Saint Martin, Saint Mary and Vermilion.
• LSBDC at McNeese State University serves Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron and Jefferson Davis parishes.
• LSBDC at University of Louisiana Monroe serves northeast Louisiana including Caldwell, Catahoula, Concordia, East Carroll, Franklin, Jackson, LaSalle, Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, Ouachita, Richland, Tensas, Union and West Carroll parishes.
• LSBDC Greater New Orleans Region at Xavier University serves Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James and St. John the Baptist parishes.
• LSBDC at Southern University Shreveport serves northwest Louisiana.
• LSBDC at Nicholls State University serves Lafourche and Terrebone parishes.

The statewide office is in the process of hiring a new SBDC director, SBDC assistant state director and SBDC financial compliance coordinator. For more information about these new job openings, visit: https://lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/LSU?q=SBDC.